A man who stole his father’s Audi before crashing into two parked cars was trying to get to work following a night on the town.
Frazer Steen arrived home at around 2am and was due to start work an hour later.
The 25-year-old, who holds only a provisional licence, took the vehicle but crashed just one street over. He hit one of the other vehicles so hard it mounted the pavement.
The panicking warehouse man then returned home and admitted what he had done to his father before taking off again when police were called.
Perth Sheriff Court heard Steen claimed a four times higher-than-legal alcohol reading taken by police when they tracked him down was due to drinking after the crash.
Depute fiscal Mairi Graham told the court: “Archibald Steen is the owner of the silver Audi A6.
“On November 6 he had secured the car and put the keys in the kitchen cupboard as usual.
“At 2am he was woken by the accused returning home and he saw that his car was outside the house at that time.The accused had work and was due to start in an hour.
“At 3am Mr Steen was woken by the accused shouting and he went to see what had happened. The accused stated that he had taken the car and had hit parked cars.
“The accused kept apologising for taking it and said Mr Steen should call the police.
“Police found the car, with significant damage to the front end, abandoned on Gowan’s Terrace. There was also damage to two cars, one of which had been shunted onto the pavement.”
She added: “With regard to the drink driving charge he stated ‘I didn’t take a sip of alcohol until I knew the police were after me’.”
Solicitor Mike Tavendale, defending, said: “He was preoccupied with getting to work. He’s a warehouseman with a local firm and works 3am until 10am.
“He took a decision that alcohol obviously played a part in.”
Steen admitted taking the Audi A6 from outside the Dunnock Park address in Perth he shares with his father without the owner’s consent on September 7.
He further admitted driving on the city’s Gowan’s Terrace without a licence or insurance, and with an alcohol reading of 96mics. The legal limit is 22.
Steen also pled guilty to failing to stop after an accident on Gowan’s Terrace.
Steen, of Dunnock Park, Perth, was banned from the roads for two years.
He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, placed on a 12-month supervision order and ordered to complete a drink driving course.
